PACK LINE DEFENSE LOW POST DEFENSE & DEFEATING BALL SCREENS Session II
It’s More Than X’s & O’s PACK LINE DEFENSE
* Players Do Not Have Bad Days, Coaches DO!
* Again, Pack Line Defense, it’s a mindset… a Belief System…we do not have an Alternate Defense. * Numerous Ways to Defend the Low Post and Ball Screens, this is what 32 Years have Taught us. Dictates Everything
Low Post Defensive Keys & Teaching Points: 1) Fight to Keep the Ball out of the Low Post TP: 3/4 Top Side - Keep Your Feet Active Chin on Top Shoulder - No Lobs Know Your Slip Point 2) On the Pass - Slide Behind - This is Our Time TP: DO NOT GAMBLE FOR A STEAL Shade the Baseline Shoulder Low-Wide-Big…No Angles to Rim! 3) Choke and Dig with Perimeter Defenders TP: Quarter Deny with Feeder - Consistency Choke: Rule of Thumb is 50/50 911 on Dribble, Dig it Out Low Post Keys & Teaching Points: 1) Fight to Keep the Ball out of the Low Post Do not just concede the pass because we are Red TP: 3/4 Top Side - Keep Your Feet Active Chin on Top Shoulder - No Lobs Know Your Slip Point 2) On the Pass - Slide Behind - This is Our Time TP: DO NOT GAMBLE FOR A STEAL Shade the Baseline Shoulder Vision is your Best Friend! 3) Double Team must get there on the Catch! TP: Come High and Hard - Be Aggressive Must Talk it Loud - ELO - RED, RED, RED Working to Take Away Vision - No Skips Perimeter RED Keys: All Bets are Off on Feed to Low Post Must Shrink the Floor & Zone Lane
1) Feeder Defender “Locks-up” Feeder
TP: Do not allow a quick return pass 1/4 Deny - No Back Cuts - Force Pass Out
2) Closest Perimeter to the Baseline is our RIM PROTECTOR
TP: ELO - Talk it Loud and Get to the Rim You’ve got to be a Pit Bull here, No Poodles Cannot allow a Cutter between You and the Ball
3) Top Defender takes the FT/Key Area and Zones up
TP: Best Interceptor - Must Read the Ball’s Eyes See it all - No One Cuts Behind You ROTATIONS: Our Base Rules
1) Pass to the Top: Top Guard has Pass out of Trap Closeout with High Hands Rim Gets to the Gap/his Man - Stunt Red Sprints off Trap to the Rim Look for Man - Lowest to Baseline Hit on Recovery if in the Low Post
2) Skip to Wing: Try to Avoid this Pass - Do not Allow! Top Defender has All Skips to Help-side Rim Defender must Protect Inside-Out Rim Defender Recovers off Top Closeout Red Sprints Off the Trap Along Baseline
3) Dribble Out: Stay with the Double until Ball is Passed Dribble Used: RED – RED - RED Top Read Eyes & Shoulders RED ON THE POST • 3/3 Perimeter with 2 Release • 2/2 Inside with 3 Release • 5/5 Red on Low Post • 5/5 Multiple Actions
On air time, post defender should slide behind and place nose on offensive player’s baseline shoulder Opposite post defender anticipates the RED and traps on air time yelling “RED-RED-RED” with hands up Offense should not be able to go baseline or split the trap Trap will stay with offense until Ball is passed out Any pass to top or other side of the court should have to go over outstretched hands Any type of offense can be run Coach can designate whether 1 post is doubled or both On pass into the post: . Ballside denies the wing pass out . 2 posts double the post with hands up . A guard must be protecting the rim . A guard must be at the nail hole seeing it all
SPECIAL SITUATIONS:
• Feeder Screens: Switch it - Must Talk it Loud & Early
• Big to Big Feed: No Red
• Stretch Fours: “Switch Four” Red Sprints off and takes Lowest Base Line Make him a Jump Shooter Our Thoughts: 1) Do not allow the Ball to Beat Us 2) Make the Big Shoot Contested Jumpers 3) Defend Areas & Personnel – Shrink Floor Keys to Success: 1) Communication A Ball Screen cannot occur without a Screen 2) Consistency of Execution Our Game Prep Begins the First Day of Practice Teach in Three Layers: 1) On Ball Defender 2) Screener Defender 3) Off Ball Defenders This is a FIVE Man Proposition We must be Connected! SIDE BALL SCREENS: HARD SHOW
LAYER ONE: Body-up Force to Screen Body-in Get into the Ball Body Over Arch and Over
LAYER TWO: Cannot Get There too Early – Hands Down Same Boards - Force Ball to the North Take Two Steps with Ball Go to Body - Hit on Recovery
LAYER THREE: Again, Defending the Ball Screen is a 5 Man Proposition, Takes Everyone being Involved. Shrink the Court - All Bets are Off Be Active & Alert - Communication MIDDLE BALL SCREEN: LEVEL SHOW
LAYER ONE: Body-up, Body-in, Body, Over Remain “Hip Pocket” until Ball Passed Square-up the Ball on Recovery LAYER TWO: Level with the Screen – Mirror the Ball Stay Squared – Cannot Get Turned Sideways NO DRIBBLE AROUNDS Motor Running – Stay with Ball until Passed Low - Wide - Big - Hands Down ACTIVE – Keep Feet Moving
LAYER THREE: Shrink Positions – We are Zoning the Ball Ball Coming to You: Sit on Fence Ball Going Away From You: Tag the Roll Stunt to Ball: Active & Alert PACK LINE DEFENSE TROUBLE SHOOTING Things that will Kill your Defense
1) Poor Closeouts: Cannot give-up Direct Drives or Rhythm Jumpers - Must Have High Hands and Know who you are Guarding. We don’t like to switch for this reason, not switching allows us to lock into our Match-up, who we are defending. I want my best guarding your best!
2) Getting Stretched: Cannot wander outside of the Pack Line. Stay in your Gap - Do not become too Man Oriented. 3) Going for Fakes or Helping up the Floor: Stay on the Floor - High Hands - Bigs Cannot Help-up or Over Help. 4) Lunging or Reaching: Hands on the Glass, stay Balanced. 5) Being Late to Positioning or to the Post: Standing Must be Active and Alert in Gaps, we say, “Motors Running”. 6) Too Low in Gaps: Too Safe, causes us to have to move to help and forces long closeouts. Use of Gap Line. 7) Silence: Talking is the Glue, gives you a head start, helps your teammates, and can intimate the Offense. ELO: Early Loud Often